mortoit



B. NI. MOHTON.

AUTOMATIC RAIL POWER.

vAPPLICATION FILED NOV. I4, 1918. 1,312,131. Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

V E@ ggg fw 9 Li/f? B. M. MORTON.

AUTOMATIC RAIL POWER.

, APPLICATION HLED N0V,14,191B.

Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

BURRIS M. NORTON', OF'KOSHKONONG, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC RAIL-POWER.

Application filed November 14, 1918.

tion.

This invention has relation to a new and novel means for utilizing the work performed by a train in passing over a stretch of railway track, to pump water to an elevation, or for any other purpose desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide means to be located along a railway track eiigageable by the wheels of a passing locomotive and coaches, operable to actuate machinery to store the power thus obtained, or to utilize the power directly in the performance of useful work.

A still further object of the invention is. to provide a track means including a plurality of shafts journaled adjacent the track and .having each an upstanding arm engageable by the wheels of the train, whereby, the arms are depressed, and the motion of the arms thus obtained transmitted to an apparatus designed to correlate the movements of the various arms whereby to secure in the aggregate an amount of power which will be appreciable and which can be applied to the performance of useful work.

A still further object of this invention is to provide means of a specific nature. to utilize the power furnished by the 'oscillating arms, including a ratchet mechanism operable by the arms, and a pumping apparatus for elevating water to a tank such as is used to supply locomotives with water.

In addition tothe foregoing, this invention comprehends improvements in the details of construction and arrangement of parts to be .hereinafter described and particularly, pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar and corresponding parts are designated by the Ysame characters of reference throughout the several views in which they appear:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a portion of a railway track and a watering tank, illustrating the applicationv of my invention to elevate water to the tank.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken througxh a rail illustratinor the relation thereto of t 'e operating parte? my invention.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

serial No. 262,473.

Fig. 3 is a view in plan of the rail and,

track mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken through the apparatus for utilizing the motion of the track devices to operate the pumping machinery.

Fig. 5 is a view in vertical section of a portion of the pump operating machinery.

Fig. 6 is a plan viewl of a modified form of the pump actuating mechanism with its inclosure partly in section.

lith reference to the drawings, 10 indicates a track rail, and l11 indicates a shaft of which there are a number located along the rail. The shafts 11 are placedtransversely of the rail beneath the same, and are journaled in suitable bearings 12. The shafts terminate at a point adjacent one of the rails and said terminal of each shaft is provided with a device comprising a collar 13 to which a pair of spaced ears 14 are formed. The end of the shaft is received between the ears and a Apin inserted through the ears and shaft to pivotally connect the parts together.

vAn arm 15 is thensecured in the collar and it will be observed that the arm is thus mounted for movement from a vertical position adjacent the rail to a point adjacent the ground and away from the rail. The outer end of each arm 15 carries a roller 16 designed to be engaged bythe car wheel to reduce friction.

Apaii` of springs 17 are provided, one at each side of the vertical arm 15, one end of each spring being connected to the arm, and the other ends connected to some stationary pointto either side of the arm. It will be noted that by this arrangement, the arm, when in a vertical position is held erect by the action of both ,springs which act in opposition to each other. However, when `the arm is in a horizontal position both springs pass the dead center of the pivotal point of thearm and thus act to retain the arm in suchV position.

VThe outer end of each shaft 11 is bent upward to form a crank Aor offset 18. The

offsets of the shafts are connected together f by means vof links 19, whereby to insure rotation of all of the shafts in unison. y

As a single instance ofthe use o'f my invention, I have illustratedl a locomotive).

naled in bearings 23 located within the housing, one end of the shaft projecting from one wall thereof. A ratchet wheel 24 is loosely mounted upon the shaft and carries a clutch member 25 centrally thereof. A co-acting clutch member 26 is splined upon the shaft and is movable into engagement with the clutch member 25 by means of a shipper lever 27 mounted on a standard 28.

A rock lever 29 is loosely mounted on the shaft 22 adjacent the ratchet wheel, at a point on the lever intermediate the ends thereof. Each end of the lever carries a spring held pawl 30 which engage the pe-Y riphery of the ratchet wheel in a manner to produce continuous rotation in one direction of the ratchet upon oscillating the lever. The end of the stub shaft 22 which projects beyond the wall of the housing is provided with a gear 31 ixedly secured thereto, which meshes with an idler gear 32 mounted on the wall of the housing. The idler in turn meshes with a gear 33 which rotates with a sprocket wheel 34.

A bucket elevator is indicated generally at 36, the same being operated by means of the shaft 37 at the upper end thereof. Said shaft carries a sprocket wheel, and a chain 3S passes around said sprocket and the sprocket 34. The bucket elevator is designed to elevate water from a well or other source of supply to the tank upon rotation of the shaft 37 thereof.

A pipe 39 extends through the tank with one end extending through the bottom, and the other end projecting above the normal water level of the tank. A flexible element. 40 extends through the pipe and the upper end thereof passes around a pulley 41 mounted on the top of the tank, while the lower end is passed around a pullev 42 and connected to the shipper lever 27. is then secured to the upper end of the flexible element and rests on the surface of the water.

Inoperation, the wheels of a passing train will successively engage the rollers 16 of the track devices thereby pressing the arms 15 downward, in one direction or the other, depending upon the direction of travel of the train. The motion of the arms Will be communicated through the shafts 11 to the links 19 to continuously shift said links longitudinally. Motion of the links being ob-.`

viously transmitted to the lever 29, said lever produces a continuous rotation of the ratchet wheel 24. When the clutch members 25 and 26 are in engagement, the shaft 22 will be rotated and as a consequence the bucket elemembers, and the ratchet wheel may then rotate loosely without actuating the pumping machinery during the passage of trains over A float 43A the track devices. However, when the level of the Water in the tank descends below a prey determined point, the weight of the descending float will cause the clutch members to rengage, and the tank will then be filled during subsequent actuation of the track devices. When it is desired to put the entire apparatus out of commission, all of the track devices, or rather the arms 15 thereof, are moved downward so as not to be engaged by the wheels of the cars. It is to be noted that the track devices are to be located at different distances apart so that there will be no possibility of each track device being engaged by a car wheel at the same time. A greater number of actuations of the lever 29 is thus assured during the passage of a train.

In order to continue the operation in lilling the watering tank 20 after the passage of the entire train over the rollers 16, provision is made whereby the water is either drawn from a well by a bucket system or other sources by a suction pump, or the like.

As shown in Fig. 6, the clutch member 25 is provided with a fixed gear 50 and also a slidable clutch element 51 splined thereon and engages a loosely supported clutch element 52 to which is fixed a gear 53.

The gear 53 is caused to impart its motion to a gear 54 that is secured to a windlass 55 during the manipulation of the ratchet wheel 54 and thereby winds a cable 55 on said windlass to lift a weight 55 secured to its free end after passing over a roller 553.

lVhen the weight has reached its elevated position the clutch element 5l is disengaged from the clutch element 52 through the instrumentality of a shiftable yoke 56 that is manipulated as the windlass rotates through the provision of an internally threaded collar 57 that coperates with a predetermined pitched thread 58 on the shaft 59 of the windlass.

lVhen the clutch element has been entirely released the weight will be in its elevated position and in gravitating will rotate the windlass in the opposite direction as when winding it thereon, thus causing the gear 54 to rotate a gear 60 that is secured to a counter-shaft 61, which shaft is supported in bearings 62 and has a slidable spring pressed clutch yelement 63 splined thereon for engagement with a loosely supported clutch element 64 carried by a gear 65 that meshes and imparts the proper motion to said gear 50 to continue the motion of the shaft 22.

The clutch elements 63 and 64 are of such construction that they release during the winding of the cable on the windlass, but when the weight is gravitating the gear 54 is released bythe clutch element 51 and thereby permits the free action of thecoperating elements.

This means of prolonging the operation of the shaft 22 permits the same to be readily connected to a pump of any desired type as well as enabling it to operate continuously by determining the time between passing trains and so arranging the length of the cable that it will unwind during the intervals between trains and be wound on the windlass as the train manipulates its elevating mechanism.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an apparatus which is capable of utilizing a source of power which is being wasted continuously. The apparatus will be especially effective if placed on a down grade since the resistance offered by the devices to the travel of the train will be of no consequence, and the devices will moreover act as a brake. I do not mean to confine the application of this invention to the pumping of water, but intend to utilize the motion of the track devices to actuate all kinds of machinery. An air compressor may be operated as well as an electric generator, and the power thus stored in tanks or storage batteries for future use.

While I have illustrated and described my invention with some partieularity, I realize that in practice various alterations therein may be made. I therefore reserve the right and privilege of changing the details of construction or otherwise altering the ar rangement of the correlated parts, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described including in combination with a rail of a transversely secured shaft ending in a crank arm at one end the other having a collar, an upstanding arm secure in said collar, held adjacent to the head of said rail to be actuated by a passing car wheel a spring at the upper end of said arm to hold the same in vertical position, a link secured to said crank, stub shaft, a ratchet wheel loosely mounted on said stub shaft having a clutch, a coacting clutch splined on said shaft, a shipper lever mounted adjacent to said splined clutch and in connection therewith, a rock lever mounted 011 said shaft adjacent to said ratchet having its lower end secured to said link, a Spring pawl secure to the end of said lever for coaction with said ratchet, and means to operate said shipper lever to throw said splined clutch into engagement with said shaft clutch.

2. In a device of the character described including in combination with a rail of a transversely secured shaft ending in a crank arm at one end the other having a collar, an upstanding arm secure in said collar, held adjacent to the head of said rail to be actuated by a passing car wheel a spring at the upper end of said arm to hold the same in vertical position, a link secured to said crank, stub shaft, a ratchet wheel loosely mounted on said stub shaft having a clutch, a coacting clutch splined on said shaft, a shipper lever mounted adjacent to said splined clutch and in connection therewith, a rock lever mounted onsaid shaft adjacent to said ratchet having its lower end secured to said link, a spring pawl secure to the end of said lever for coaction with said ratchet, a gear wheel fixed to said stub shaft, a gear wheel in mesh with said fixed gear having a sprocket on said tank shaft, a chain passing over said sprockets, and a water elevator actuated by said tank shaft, all arranged as and in the manner set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BURRIS M. MORTON. Witnesses:

LEE E. PETERS, JAS. O. Si-IURRON.

copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

